Avoid Left Turns onto busy roads

[kentsmith9]

* All other GPS systems use maps that are usually years out of date after you use them for a few years (or spend hundreds of dollars for updates).
* No GPS that I know has the knowledge of what intersections have lights vs not.
* Unless there is a database of the information as to where are traffic lights, it would take years to have Waze editors mark every intersection with a traffic light or stop sign. It is much faster just to drive the area and let Waze determine people are not getting through that intersection in any fast time.
* Only Waze can give you current actual traffic flow information on any street (not just the major highways and roadways) helping you identify where to avoid.

For all the things people say Waze cannot do for them, I can see the 10x more things it already does do for us that people already forget.

[jonnybignote]

It's just a big time waste unfortunately - I never realise until I turn onto the street that it doesn't have a signal, so I'm stuck at turning around and trying to find another street that will let me turn left - do not all gps systems have the information that an intersection is stop signs or signals? I don't know.

I really value Waze's routing capability especially in friday afternoon traffic, as it can get me places via very creative non-freeway routes in good time - everything would be pretty much perfect if I could avoid the left turn situation.

[kentsmith9]

If you avoid a route and always pick a different route, Waze will learn the average speed of the other route is faster.

[jonnybignote]

I have to jump on here and heartily agree that this is sub optimal.

I live in the Los Angeles area - during most times of the day, but most definitely rush hour, it is not possible to make a left turn at a stop sign (no electronic signal) onto, or go straight through a major busy road (think crossing 4 lanes) as Waze constantly has me do.

I can tolerate the idea with a signal, but not where there is no mechanism to stop the traffic I'm trying to turn across.

A quickly accessible option to toggle that on or off (together with highways on or off) would make all the difference.

[kentsmith9]

If in the map editor the allowed turns had some additional functionality....

1. Time restrictions.
2. An indication of turning ease...
A. Allowed but not recommended
B. Normal
C. Best place to turn

Waze is working toward time-based turn restrictions. The other sounds nice, but will be highly subjective to many variables not visible to editors. From prior conversations it is believed that if a turn takes longer than an alternate turn to the same point, Waze will eventually route that faster path. As always drivers need to make best judgment for any maneuver in traffic.

[SocalToe]

If in the map editor the allowed turns had some additional functionality....

1. Time restrictions.
2. An indication of turning ease...
A. Allowed but not recommended
B. Normal
C. Best place to turn

[AlanOfTheBerg]

In general terms, the answer to your question is "yes." That's how crowdsourced, or any other data-gathering system works. But, you could just restrict the "bad" turn.

[ChynnaBlue]

Waze tracks transit time from segment-to-segment (any segment to any segment at any junction) in 10 minute intervals all day long. This infos has been available for quite some time. So, yes, Waze should learn, as long as some people "get stuck" trying to turn a certain way, that it is incredibly slow to do so.

So does that mean we need to get stuck or forced into a dangerous situation in order for it to lean? Isn't there a better way? On my way home from work, Waze wants me to take a route with a stop sign at an unprotected left-hand turn across a busy 4 lane highway with an island between the lanes. I tried it once and ended up turning right and going another way. It could route me another way, but never does.

[kentsmith9]

Since this has come up a number of times, I created an entry in the FAQ. If you want to discuss the Wiki entry on this topic please go to this thread in the Wiki forum.

[AlanOfTheBerg]

How the heck does Waze know the time to turn? Is there an internal average speed or time value per-node-per-segment-per-direction now? I thought there was only averages per segment... How does it work then?

Waze tracks transit time from segment-to-segment (any segment to any segment at any junction) in 10 minute intervals all day long. This infos has been available for quite some time. So, yes, Waze should learn, as long as some people "get stuck" trying to turn a certain way, that it is incredibly slow to do so.